Here’s a picture of a very self-confident and well-fed little character we met on our traditional New Year’s Day walk around Oxford with friends. Wishing you a Happy New Year for 2016 from everyone at invisibules.org – we hope you get as many nuts out of life as he obviously does.
Yesterday I took the day off work and we went to London Zoo for a fabulous day of animal treats. Among the treats not pictured were the aye-aye (too dark to see it for long, but it came right up to the glass;) and the baby two-toed sloth, Edward, who is not on public view but we happened to coincide with him as he was being taken home for the evening by his surrogate (human) mother, and stopped for a chat. The baby emperor tamarin twins were very interested in my sketch-book, and had a go at climbing all over it, and trying to see if there was food hidden between the pages. The brown titi monkey was then inspired to do the same.
I created this comic as my entry for a competition. I didn’t win, so now I’m free to share it with my readers! To make it easier for most people, I’ve translated it out of the original Latvian into English.
[Art note: I decided in this case to use vector graphics (rather than my usual rough sketches and bitmaps) — which was interesting, being simultaneously liberating (let the computer do the work) and challenging (the need to make definite decisions on line position). Thank you inkscape.]
I don’t have a comic to post at the moment, so instead here is yesterday’s page from my sketchbook, I realise that’s not quite the same thing. We wandered around the V&A without a plan, and somehow the page filled with drawings of things that caught my attention. Later we went to a concert South of the River, out beyond Peckham, with friends.
I would like to thank my wonderful and surreal wife, Karen, for the wordplay that underpins this comic. I merely added the seahorses and coloured it in.
Yesterday I took the day off work and we went into London to visit the Natural History Museum. Darwin says “Hi!”
Another pleasant day at the zoo (with baby Greater One Horned Rhinoceros.)
No comic today, but I wanted to share two doodles from my sketchbook. The second one I made at the hospital, waiting for a gastroscopy*, and perhaps then the theme is obvious. In hindsight I now understand the first one too!
I’m happy to say they found nothing! The doctor allowed me to turn slightly to look at the monitor, so now I have gazed at my navel from both sides.
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(* The spelling checker is complaining, and suggesting gastropod instead. I think that would have been far tastier.)
This is just about the longest I’ve ever spent on a single drawing, over a few days while sitting in the hospital waiting for Karen’s op and then waiting for her to be discharged. I started without a plan, just drew an onion with eyes. Everything else seemed to have eyes too, and a sea theme emerged. I hope it amuses someone!
Based on a very true story. Yes. Really.